Cuomo on layoffs: It’s up to the unions

Talking this morning to Fred Dicker on Talk 1300 AM, Gov. Andrew Cuomo framed the move toward layoffs as a decision that was essentially in the hands of those unions — especially PEF — that have yet to agree to a deal like the one tentatively embraced by CSEA’s leadership. (Cuomo noted that he was confident that the CSEA deal is headed for ratification — but his administration was sure its offer to Council 82 was a slam dunk, too.)

Cuomo argued that his position on workforce savings hasn’t changed in five months, since he announced the need to achieve $450 million in workforce savings. It’s now time, he said, for the unions to decide if they want to make their share of that number through concessions or layoffs.

The governor compares this latest big-stick approach — our characterization — with his techniques for pushing lawmakers to meet his budget deadline (or face a monster-sized extender) and pass an ethics package (or spend the near future with Moreland panel investigators combing through your files).

Here’s the full transcript of the portion of the exchange concerning layoffs:

Cuomo: From January, I took a very deliberate tack across the board. I happened to become governor of the state at a very, very difficult time for the state. And I’ve always laid out options — Option A, Option B, Option C. Here are the options and these are the choices, and here’s what’s going to happen “if.” I did that with the Legislature — this is how we get a budget done, this is what happens on ethics — and I said on the situation with the state workforce, we need $450 million in savings to make the budget work. We can get $450 million by either working with the workforce and coming up with savings and renegotiating a contract, or we’re going to have to do layoffs. I have been 100 percent consistent in that. CSEA came to the table in good faith. I applaud them; I think our people operated in good faith, but CSEA did also and we came up with an arrangement which is fair to both sides, and I applaud them. Our side was creative and did everything they could because no one wants to see anyone laid off, right? We need our workforce, and the unit cost of a layoff — and CSEA, if think we have a fair contract that’s headed for ratification. We’ve made the same offer to PEF — it’s up to them. It’s up to them. But nothing has changed, Fred.

Dicker: Are these notices, though, part of a strategy to, not coerce them, necessarily, but pressure them — ehh, maybe coerce them — into reaching an agreement?

Cuomo: If anything, the pressure that is on them is CSEA — which is a very powerful, smart union; they’ve been very critical of me as you know; Danny Donohue has had choice words for me at times — they negotiated the contract. We’re offering basically the same contract to PEF, right?

Dicker: And (PEF President) Ken Brynien has had some tough words for you too, but hasn’t been flexible the way Danny Donohue has been, is that the point?

Cuomo: CSEA accepted the contract — same basic offer to PEF — it’s up to them. If they want to say it’s an unreasonable offer by me, I think that lacks credibility by CSEA’s acceptance. That’s the pressure they’re feeling.

Dicker: Has there been any progress with PEF over the course of the last few days? Are you making any headway, or are they pretty much where they’ve been for several weeks or even months?

Cuomo: You know, Fred, it’s basically binary, right? We are where we are — $450 million, that number doesn’t change. The fact that CSEA accepted the contract adds to the credibility of the offer, so that’s not going to change. And if they don’t want to accept the offer that CSEA accepted, then there’s going to have to be layoffs — it’s up to them. By the way, I can argue it either way: Their workforce says, “We’d rather lay off people than accept these terms,” then I understand that.

Dicker: Though arguably — and I think you would make this point — it would be better for the state to retain the workers so they can do the jobs that they’re supposed to be doing rather than have those positions eliminated and presumably the services that go with them as well.

Cuomo: From my point of view, from the state’s point of view, we don’t want to do any layoffs. It’s the last resort, and it’s an undesirable resort. The union would have to say, “We would rather do layoffs, and lay off our own members, than agree to a contract.” THEY would have to say that.